Cliffhanger
by driftingstar
Summary: Summary: Holding on is harder than letting go as Mariah experiences for herself. Will she fall, or will she be pulled up? One-sided MariahRay, since Ray doesn’t really make an appearance and implied SalimaRay.


Cliffhanger  
  
Summary: Holding on is harder than letting go as Mariah experiences for herself. Will she fall, or will she be pulled up? One-sided Mariah/Ray, since Ray doesn't really make an appearance and implied Salima/Ray.  
  
This fic is dedicated to Angela Tran. Keep hanging in there, girl!  
  
***  
  
~I'm slipping...  
  
I find it completely hopeless sometimes since he only saw me as a little sister, nothing more. We were the best of friends, even in our childhood. He always looked out for me, no matter what. He always cared for me when I was sick, even when no one else would. And he always defended me, even if he was to one who got hurt for it. He was always by my side, and I, by his. We had a special bond, a bond of friendship that would never be broken.  
  
When he left us, the White Tigers, I didn't know why he left, or why he didn't tell us. The others were distraught at losing their friend and captain. Kevin and Gary were crying while Lee locked himself in his room. I also wanted to cry, but I forced myself not to. Instead, I masked my sorrow with anger. I tried to make myself forget him, hate him, hate him for leaving us behind, but I just couldn't. My feelings for him will never change.  
  
~I'm tripping...  
  
I had thought that I would never see him again. But then, as fate would have it, we met again in the Asian Tournament. There, we finally found out and accepted the real reason for why he left. We had battled each other in the second match of the finals, and our bond was rekindled by our bit- beasts. I had secretly hoped that our bond would gradually progress into something stronger. I wanted us to be MORE than just friends.  
  
I was not able to see much after that tournament. We would occasionally exchange letters once in while, but since his team did not stay long in one location, my letters often missed them.  
  
~I'm losing my grip...  
  
In the World Finals, I watched in horror as he was forced to battle the most malevolent and sinful one of the Demolition Boys; Bryan. This... this... *fiend* wanted nothing more than to see him lose his life at his hands. I was so scared, scared that I would actually lose him. I wanted nothing more than to be able to help him. But there was nothing I could do. I had lost my Galux and I was too far away to reach him.  
  
In the end, he was finally able to overcome Bryan and thrown the worthless piece of filth onto his knees. But to do this, he had sacrificed all his strength, and was sent to the hospital. I went with him onto the ambulance.  
  
That ride was the most painful and horrifying thing I had ever experienced. Halfway to the hospital, one of the doctors had suddenly yelled in alarm, that he had stopped breathing. I had closed my eyes, blinking away unshed tears and I held onto his cold hand, begging for him to be all right.  
  
Ray finally woke up in the hospital the next day. He had had almost fatal cuts in his shoulders and his chest. I refused to leave his side, even when ten nurses had tried to "convince" me to leave.  
  
Ray stared at the television, worried for Tyson and his teammates and the fate of the whole world. But I was more worried for him. If anything happened to Ray, I would lose, *my* whole world.  
  
Tyson had won his match and Ray insisted to go see him, even though he did not fully recover yet. I carried him most of the way.  
  
~I'm losing my balance...  
  
I could never bear to see him, even *talk* with another girl. I felt my throat tighten with jealousy whenever he "flirted" sometimes. But then, when I thought things could not get worse...  
  
...It did. Although Ray looked out for my like a brother, he was entirely different when he was with her... Salima. I had hoped that they were just friends, like him and Emily or Hilary. But I recognized the look in his eyes when he was with her. Because it was the one I had when I was with him. He loves her...  
  
I'm falling...  
  
Holding on is harder than letting go, yet I keep holding on, day after day, night after night, in hopes that he might return my feelings.  
  
This whole fiasco can be related to someone hanging on to the edge of a cliff and someone standing by the edge.  
  
The cliff represents all the doubt and pain, and all the obstacles that stop us from ever being able to love.  
  
The person hanging from it represents the one in love, and the person standing is the one whom the one that is hanging on loves.  
  
Holding on is hard, since it takes a lot of strength to hold on.  
  
Letting go can also be hard, since we are afraid to fall.  
  
So we choose it hold on.  
  
To hold on, until the one we love can realize it and finally pull us up.  
  
But if that never happens, then we eventually have to let go...  
  
Or...  
  
We can find our own strengths and pull *ourselves* up.  
  
But I'm not strong enough to do that, so;  
  
*Ray  
  
*Please pull me up...  
  
~Help me...  
  
***  
  
So what do you guys think? I know it sucked and I betcha that I've managed to confuse you, but I was meant as a little something to help out my friend, plus, I'm a writer, but I never said I was a good one. ^-~  
  
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, disagreements or death threats, please leave a couple of words in the review box, preferably in complete sentences. ^-^ Flames are also accepted and will be put into good use. *pokes the fireplace*  
  
~Frontier of Darkness~ 


End file.
